Ratchet wrench construction



Patented May 9, 1950 John Ekern:,()tt, Hinsdale 111., assignor. "to: EuncheLok. Company, Chicagm. Ill.,. apartner- .sliip Application- June 5, 19417.;:StiitlNtLf752y596 9, Claims. I l -Ratchet wrenches: of; the-general; character herecontemplated .are: commonly constructedof twostamped sheet metal handle. members with pawl and ratchetmechanism housed between, the

two handle members, and the latter being secured together-by.twoior-three rivets located at spaced points along; the; lengtheof the handle members. Qneof theserivetse is. usually the pivot pin for the pawl; and: it is-relied upon1to hold the handle sections together at, the ratchet end of thehandle where most-of the working-;-stresses: or strains occurin the wrench; In.order-that the handle be able toswithstandzforces which occur, in .normal usesrot .the wrench; especially at the ratchet end thereof, it has been the-practice to make: these handles-oisheetmetalof relatively heavy gauge or;thickness; for example: in the neighborhood of .065 inch. Notwithstanding the relatively heavy weight of-metalwhich has, been used, it has been found-that; wrenches embodying the indicated constructionfrequently fail and become inoperativendue to spreading of. the ratchtenclosing": end of the handle. structure.

Thefmain object ioirthexpresent. invention is to provide a wrench construction; which will, effec-' tively' prevent failure of :the-w.rench rby spreadingyor splitting; ofithe ratchettsupporting end of the ;handle-structure.. .Another objectisto provide. a. ;structure which will permit the use of: substantially lighter metaliinth'ehandle struc-v ture than. has heretoforeabeer .possible; while-rat theisametime nprovidmgrad'equatesstrength.- Still another objectv is :to providean, arrangement :for indicating the properzrapplication of the wrench to a partiorzturmngsuch. partzin a predetermined direction.

Other objects and advantages will .be. understood by referenceto thefcllowing specification and: accompanyingflrawing. in which. there is illustrated. a ratchet wrenchembodying aselected form of thezinvention.

' Inrthe'drawingz Fig. 1 is a plan;.certain portions-beingbroken away and shown in section .to vrnore'clearly illustrate; the construction,

Fig. 2 is a section on-ani enlarged scale :on; the line 2'+2"of:1?ig. t; and

Fig"; 3 is a: more:;or less schematic representation. of the mannenin whiclnpartscfthe wrench are assembled.

1. The wrench-herein:disclosed embodies aratchei member- I; having ;;oppcsitely projecting vhubs 2 and. 3;;the 'hUbS,3J1d;1Z2 tBhlJS being provided with an axialhho'le, 4 of hexagonakor'otherv-formzfor cooperating:- with. annut oreshaft to. :be. turned throughitheeagencyioi the wrench; The .ratch-et t is-rotatably mounted inv a handle 5 whichcom prisesaipair of -stamped- -.sheet metal members 5* and 7 which,- are.of substantially like form.

Each of the=-hand1e members. 6 and iv have peripheral: flange portions 8 land Q-respectively which areladapted -toengage one. another asr-indica-ted .in. Fig. 2 to thereby;space portions of the members within which. are "mounted? the ratchet I, a pawl lit-and a spring It. lBortions :ofuthe handlemembers 6 and 1 are .oiiset inwardlyns indicated: at t2 and 13 respectively to-meet --in face to faceengagementas best :shown inzFig: 2. For rotatablysupporting: the ratchet I, the handle. members:- 5. and 1-. are respectively .provided'. with lateral outwardly"projecting...annular flange portions [4 and. l5-WhiGhhave freeiend portions l 6 l and. l 1 respectively of inwardly: tapering or truncated cone shaped.- form. I The inside diameterofv the-flange portions M and J5. ismade to rotatably receive'the-external diameter aoi, the bearing .hubs- 2 and 3. so as to permit.- the: ratchet to rotate freely in.-the.-ha-ndlestructure. YTO: receive the inwardly -0fiset end: portions oi: the annular flanges. resultingairom-the inwardly taperedfreeiendportions, the-hubs 2-and 3.-are respectively provided. with annular grooves: 1.18 and 19.

In one practical-embodiment of the wrench, the inwardly. tapered. portions I E and: l -are..disposed at-an. inwardly taperingangle of 30-..and the free endslof saidportions are substantially squared as? shown. .Thegroves l8 and l.9,-are formed in the-hubs Z -and 3 toprovide walls disposed at angles approximately: correspondingeto the respectively adjacent insider-walls .20 and .2! of the tapered end: portiona. andrthe end walls 22 and 23 of :saidltapered portions.

The ratchet l is, of course, providedwithperipheral-teethaslbest shown'in Fig. 1 and. the pawl I'll has one end formed'forcooperativeengagement with saide-teeth: to permit the ratchet to. turn' in; one. .direction'relative. to the handle and to-lock the ratchet against turningein the ;-2 6'. The rivet "2.4.. isheaded over onetheoutside of the handle members 5 and 1 as shown so as to thereby prevent spreading of the handle members, and rivets such as indicated at 21 and 28 are passed through other portions of the handle member to secure the same in assembled relationship to each other.

It will be seen that in the described constructions, forces exerted by the ratchet l on the adjacent end portions of the handle elements 6 and 1 and which tend to separate the ratchet-supporting end portions of the handle members from each other are effectively resisted by the end portions of the ratchet hubs which are engaged by the end walls 22 and 23 of the inwardly ofiset end portions of the bearing flanges. Hence, neither the rivet 24 nor the rigidity of the respective handle elements is depended upon to withstand the ratchet forces which tend to split the handle.

According to the present invention, the annular bearing flanges I4 and IS with their respective inwardly offset free end portions are completely formed before the handle sections are assembled with the ratchet element. In order to permit assembly of the part, the handle elements are preferably made of sheet steel having a temper (known in the trade as No. 3 temper) which leaves in the metal a degree of elasticity which is suiiicient to permit the inwardly offset free end portion of the bearing flange to be temporarily expanded incident to the forcing of the handle member and its bearing flange over the hub of the ratchet in the manner represented in Fig. 3,

As shown in Fig. 3, the ratchet t is supported in a jig 29 while the handle member 6 (or 1) is placed over the ratchet element with the hub 2 thereof entering the bearing flange as far as possible. A pressure member 35 is then brought to bear against the handle element to force it downwardly into assembled relation to the ratchet whereupon the inwardly offset free end portion I6 of the handle member is forcibly expanded to pass over the outer or free end portion 31 of the ratchet hub until said free end portion I5 is permitted to snap into the groove H3. The elasticity of the metal employed in forming the handle sections should, of course, be sufficient to permit the indicated enlargement or stretching of the reduced diameter of the free end portions of the bearing flanges, and to cause the same to resume their normal reduced diameter positions when brought into registry with the receiving grooves of the ratchet hubs. After one handle section is assembled with the ratchet, the other section may be similarly assembled preferably after positioning the pawl and spring in the handle element which is first assembled with the ratchet. After the handle sections are both assembled with the ratchet, the heading of the rivets 2G, 21 and 28 may be completed.

By employing tempered metal of the character indicated for forming the side plates, the described snap action assembling portion is facilitated, this being considerably more desirable than a swaging operation to form the inwardly offset portions of the bearing flanges as a part of the assembling operation. Such swaging operations would, for practical purposes, require the employment of softer metal which would in turn require the use of heavier metal in order to secure the desired strength and rigidity.

In a practical embodiment of the structure, stamped metal having a thickness of about .042 inch has been employed, this thickness providing a Wrench structure which is considerably lighter in weight than prior art ratchet wrenches of the same overall size, and the stiffness of the handle, that is its strength against bending, has been found to be entirely adequate. The thickness of the handle member from the outside of one section to the outside of the other has been reduced to about of the thickness of comparable wrenches in prior conventional constructions so that a much less cumbersome tool is provided. The provision of the outwardly adequate support for rotatably supporting the ratchet without danger of any angular crimping or cramping action while also facilitating the interlocking of the handle sections with the ratchet element as explained.

In the arrangement described, the abrupt angles of the ends 22 and 23 of the bearing flange portion are such that there is no significant tendency of said ends to be cammed outwardly over the larger extremities of the ratchet bearing hubs while the angular disposition of the walls 20 and 21 of said angularly disposed end portions is relatively small so that these walls are effective to cooperate with the inwardy disposed wall portions of the flange to provide a bearing support for the ratchet.

The provision of the outwardly offset spring relief as shown at 26 in one handle section only is advantageous not only because it permits the use of a relatively large diameter spring, but also because it provides an indicator for indicating the proper application of the wrench for rotating an element in a predetermined direction. This indicator is not only visibly operative but also operative by feel under circumstances when it is not practical to see its location.

Various changes in the described structure may be made without departing from the invention.

I claim:

1. A wrench comprising a ratchet having a bearing hub projecting therefrom, and a, handle provided with an annular bearing flange rotatably receiving said hub, said annular bearing flange having a portion of less internal diameter than the diameter of said hub and the latter having, intermediate its ends, an annular groove receiving said flange portion so as to interlock said ratchet and handle, said handle being of metal having sufficient elasticity to permit said reduced diameter flange portion to be temporarily enlarged incident to forcible passage of said hub through said flange portion and to cause said flange portion to contract and enter said groove to interlock said ratchet and handle as aforesaid.

2. A wrench according to claim 1 in which the reduced diameter bearing flange portion is provided by a frusto-conical end portion of the bearing flange.

3. A wrench according to claim 1 in which the reduced diameter bearing flange portion is pro vided by a frusto-conical end portion of the bearing flange, and in which the free end wail of said frusto-conical portion, and the corresponding wall portion of the groove in the ratchet hub, are disposed at an angle which is nearer to rightangular relationship to the axis of the ratchet than to parallel relationship thereto.

4. A ratchet wrench comprising a ratchet having oppositely projecting bearing hubs, and a handle having a pair of sheet metal members each provided with an annular bearing flange rotatably receiving one of said ratchet hubs to rotatably support said ratchet between said handle members, said bearing flanges each having a portion of less internal diameter than the diameter of the respective hubs received in the flanges and said hubs each having, intermediate its ends, an annular groove receiving the respective reduced diameter flange portions so as to interlock said handle members and ratchet against separation.

5. A ratchet wrench according to claim 4 in which the sheet metal of which said handle members are made has suflicient elasticity to permit the reduced diameter flange portions to be temporarily enlarged incident to the forcible passage of said hubs through said flange portions and to cause said enlarged flange portions to contract and enter said grooves to interlock the handle members and ratchet as aforesaid.

6. A wrench according to claim 5 in which the reduced diameter flange portions are provided by frusto-conical end portions of the bearing flanges and in which the free end walls of said frustoconical portions and the corresponding walls of said grooves in the ratchet hubs are disposed at an angle which is nearer to right-angular relationship to the axis of the ratchet than to parallel relationship thereto.

'7. A ratchet wrench comprising a ratchet having oppositely projecting bearing hubs, a handle having a pair of sheet metal members each provided with an outwardly extending annular bearing flange rotatably receiving one of said ratchet hubs to rotatably support said ratchet between said handle members, said bearing flanges each havin a portion of less internal diameter than the diameter of the respective hubs received in the flanges and said hubs each having, intermediate its ends, an annular groove receiving the respective reduced diameter flange portions so as to interlock said handle members and ratchet against separation, rivets uniting said handle members at points spaced from said ratchet, a pawl pivotally mounted on one of said rivets and cooperating with said ratchet to prevent relative rotation between said handle and said ratchet in one direction, and .a spring housed between said handle members and bearing on said ratchet to yieldingly maintain the same in cooperating relationship to said ratchet.

8. A ratchet wrench comprising a ratchet having oppositely projecting bearing hubs, a handle having a pair of sheet metal members each provided with an outwardly extending annular bearing flange rotatably receiving one of said ratchet hubs to rotatably support said ratchet between said handle members, said bearing flanges each having a portion of less internal diameter than the diameterof the respective hubs received in the flanges and said hubs each having, intermediate its ends, an annular groove receiving the respective reduced diameter flange portions so as to interlock said handle members and ratchet against separation, rivets uniting said handle members at points spaced from said ratchet, a pawl pivotally mounted on one of said rivets and cooperating with said ratchet to prevent relative rotation between said handle and said ratchet in one direction, and a spring housed between said handle members and bearing on said ratchet to yieldingly maintain the same in cooperating relationship to said ratchet, one only of said handle members being provided with an outwardly projecting formation providing an inside recess in said handle member for housing said spring, said outwardly projecting formation serving also as an indicator for deter-mining proper positioning of the wrench for operation in a predetermined direction.

9. A ratchet wrench comprising a ratchet having a bearing hub projecting therefrom, a handle provided with an annular bearing flange rotatably receiving said hub, said hub having an annular groove, and said annular bearing flange having an integral portion thereof projecting into said groove, said groove being located intermediate the ends of said bearing hub so that integral portions of the hub on opposite sides of said groove engage said groove-entering portion of said bearing flange to thereby interlock said ratchet and handle, and a pawl carried by said handle and engaging said ratchet to lock the same against rotation in one direction relative to said. handle.

JOHN EKERN OTT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 318,222 Trout et al. May 19, 1885 1,388,929 Bullard Aug. 30, 1921 1,761,263 Haist June 3, 1930 2,144,117 Miller Jan. 17, 1939 2,145,762 Fox Jan. 31, 1939 

